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What's the Deal?

The week's best deals around the globe, by land, sea and air.

Sunday, December 12, 2004; Page P03

LAND

 The Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau in Northern California is "Wild for Nature." Twenty-seven hotels and a dozen nature tours and attractions are discounted. For example, a room at Marina Dunes, a beachfront hotel adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, is $119 a night, plus 10 percent tax and $15 dunes restoration fee; normal rate is $162. Promo is good Jan. 1-Feb. 28. Info: 888-221-1010, www.wildfornature.montereyinfo.org.

 Save 25 percent on tickets to the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" in New York, plus get a free soda and popcorn with each ticket. The "Holiday Gift & Get" deal is good for select non-peak performances through Jan. 2. For example, a midweek matinee orchestra seat that's normally $68 (plus $9.60 service charge) is $51 (plus $9.10 service charge). Show your ticket stub for discounts at more than 100 NYC museums, restaurants, stores and attractions. Info: 212-307-1000, www.radiocity.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Use promo code GIFTGET.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Fly nonstop between Washington Dulles and Manchester, England, for $199 on BMI, or fly to London through Manchester for the same price. Deal is good Jan. 5-March 31. Taxes are $160 extra to Manchester and $197 to London. Fare to Manchester in winter is usually about $435. Purchase deadline is tomorrow.

 The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Md., has a package that includes lodging, a copy of James Michener's "Chesapeake," a family pass to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and other goodies starting at $139 a night, plus 12.5 percent tax. Normal winter rate for room-only starts at $155. Deal is good through March; holiday blackouts apply. Info: 410-901-1234, www.chesapeakebay.hyatt.com. Ask for promo CBTRY3.

SEA

 Cruise the Caribbean on the Queen Mary 2 in January and save $440 per person. The discounted fare starts at $999 per person double for an inside cabin on the Jan. 22 and 29 sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Taxes are an extra $42. Info: 800-7-

CUNARD, www.cunard.com.

 To launch its new European river cruises, Trafalgar has discounts of $500 per couple on any cruise-air combo from the United States. Bonus: The savings can be combined with early-booking discounts of up to 7.5 percent on land-only portion. For example, a weeklong northern Portugal and Spain cruise in late October including air from D.C. starts at about $2,121 per person double after discounts; usual fare is about $2,498. Port charges/taxes of $274 are extra. Book and pay in full by Dec. 31. Info: 866-247-9880, www.trafalgar.com.

 A four-night Bahamas cruise out of Miami on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Sea is $269 per person double for its Sept. 12 and 19 sailings. Taxes are $30 extra per person. Same cruise in July starts at $399. Info: 800-327-6700, www.royalcaribbean.com.

AIR

 US Airways has reduced first-class fares to dozens of Caribbean destinations. For example, pay $879, plus $55 in taxes, for a round-trip first-class ticket between BWI and St. Maarten; other airlines are charging more than $2,000. Complete travel by June 30. Info: 800-428-4322, www.usairways.com.

 Cathay Pacific's "Deal of the Month" is a round-trip fare of $963 from New York to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Travel between Feb. 12 and May 15. Taxes are an extra $136. Other airlines' fare is about $1,177. Buy at www.cathay-usa.com/dotm by Dec. 31, or until sold out.

PACKAGES

 Visit Paris for three nights for $490 per person double, including round-trip nonstop air from Dulles, lodging with breakfast at the Kyriad Bercy Village hotel and taxes. The deal is from Gate 1 Travel (800-682-3333, www.gate1travel.com) for January and February departures. Priced separately, air would be about $453 and the hotel about $375 for three nights, for a total savings of about $300 per couple.

 Book a trip for two to Europe with Insight Vacations for travel in April, May, September or October, and the second person flies for $199 round trip, plus taxes. Deal applies to flights out of all three D.C. airports on American or British Airways to London, Paris, Zurich, Madrid or Frankfurt. Fare is $499 round trip for June-August packages. Book and pay in full by Dec. 29. Taxes vary. Info: 888-680-1241, www.insightvacations.com.

-- Carol Sottili

Prices were verified and available on Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press. However, deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions such as day of travel, blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements sometimes apply.